At The Movies: Tropic Thunder

Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr.

Directed by: Ben Stiller (Cable Guy, Zoolander)

The “Tropic Thunder” experience begins without warning as fake trailers starring the soon to be protagonists are shown. The quick 10 minute batch of trailers provides a quick shock, but it is simply a warm up. It’s a perk that this film has that not many are able to have (this also includes borrowing competitor corporate names) and director Ben Stiller uses this, along with many other pieces of ammunition, to unload a barrage of satire, comedy, irony, and action all into one film.

The film (within the film) stems from a book of the same name developed by Vietnam veteran Four-Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte) and is now a film being directed by Damian Cockburn (Steve Coogan). The films stars some of the biggest names in the business including fading action star, Tugg Speedman (Stiller), award winning and Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr.) and farting comedic genius Jeff Portnoy (Black). Because the cast and crew feel so pressured to satisfy the actors and attend to their needs, the film is slow in progression and is far from authentic. Tayback suggests that Cockburn takes his actors out into the real jungles of Southeast Asia and film the shots “guerilla style”. These actors are left in the jungle to do their best soldier impression while being surrounded by actual danger. This leads to conflict between Speedman, who is oblivious to the fact that there is a real danger to be aware of, Lazarus, who has had a surgery to ensure the most authentic African American look possible and is so into his role that he doesn’t leave character “until after the DVD commentary”, and financer of the movie, Les Grossman, played by a well kept secret Tom Cruise.

There are a plenty of precarious steps taken by Ben Stiller on a very thin line via the script. One is Downey’s symbol of irony in Hollywood and another is the on-going ‘joke’ of retardation. The latter is already under heavy fire, but it is important to note that Stiller is more or less poking fun at those actors attempting to play the roles of the mentally disabled as opposed to what others might take to. Films like “Forrest Gump” and “I Am Sam” could prove to more offensive because of the vague display and interpretation of a mentally disabled struggle, whereas this film states its purpose right off the bat. The racial issue with Downey’s character is obviously a risky move; however, it is there to exemplify the distances actors will go to get award recognition. The film also briefly takes shots at Hollywood for possibly benefiting from another actor’s death, as well as the ruthless corporate heads invest money into the business.

Even with the great cast, two actors simply steal the show: Downey and Cruise. The former really has nothing to prove because he is indeed one of the best actors of this generation. This particular role needed someone of his talent and caliber and it was the brightest spot of the movie. Downey alone is a huge reason to see the film. If he isn’t, Cruise just might be why you should run to the theatres. This role just may revitalize Cruise’s career and sanity (admit it, you were getting really creeped out). His sequences and pieces of dialogue might provide you with the strongest bits of laughter.

Truly, it already is a unique film and much credit should be given to Ben Stiller for taking a risk and sticking with this story he envisioned quite a while ago. It is by no means a parody, even if it does blatantly make fun of scenes from classic war movies like “Saving Private Ryan” and “Platoon”, it is an ‘indirect direct’ look at spoiled and pampered Hollywood actors. Moreover, Stiller essentially directs two movies and controls a star studded cast while providing a wide variety of characters. The only problem is that attachments with these characters are not as strong bonding as one might think. Even though it is a comedy, the relationship between the characters in the movie and the audience could be stronger (“Knocked Up” is a prime example). It also doesn’t provide for any pieces of ‘dying laughter’ because plenty of the jabs are quick and uneasy. The jabber between Downey and Stiller throughout the entire movie is a consistent laugh and Cruise’s character, when on screen, is another consistent laugh. All in all, it simply may not be the biggest laugh this summer, but it is certainly the most poised and interesting laugh you will have. Get some.

Overall Score: 70/100